The present invention relates to a watercraft, and more particularly, to a watercraft of exceptional stability and utilizing a derrick with a working angle of about 120.degree..
Water crafts have been utilized for travel and for hauling loads from the time of early recorded history. A great many designs have been developed in order to accomplish the specific objective of the watercraft, whether it be intended for commercial usage or for pleasure. Factors which enter into the design of a sailing watercraft include whether the watercraft is to be propelled by wind, a motor, or a combination of wind with an auxiliary motor, the obtainable speed in a given wind, stability in high winds, the amount of sail which can be carried in high winds, the total durability, and the like.
A common design of sailing watercrafts comprises a single hull which is generally elongated in shape and provided with a centerboard or keel. One or more masts connected to the hull carry the sails. Before the advent of steamships, large ocean-going commercial vessels used an extremely complex system of masts, yard arms, stays, etc., to propel the large hull and cargo carried therein. One of the difficulties with vessels having only one hull is that the large contact area between the hull and the water results in a very substantial frictional drag which reduces the speed of the vessel. This drag is further increased by the necessity of having a centerboard in order to prevent overturning of the vessel in high winds.
Vessels having multiple hulls, such as catamarans and trimarans, represent an attempt to reduce the frictional drag between the hull and the water. The mast or masts and rigging of these vessels are supported on a plurality of pontoons or floats. The pontoons or floats are generally widely spaced from each other and usually have a relatively small wetted surface when compared with a conventional single-hulled vessel. While multi-hulled vessels are capable of higher speeds than conventional single-hulled vessels, they are more difficult to maneuver, especially when attempting to turn into the wind. The hulls of these multi-hulled vessels are generally interconnected by means of a framework of elongated tubular members. The multi-hulled vessel, therefore, is generally not as durable as a single-hulled vessel.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,395,664 issued on Aug. 6, 1968, to Greenburg et al., appears to show a sailing vessel having a rigid frame which is polyhedral in shape. In one embodiment, (FIG. 1) the frame comprises six interconnected tubular members defining a triangular face connected to three buoyant support members, and three triangular sides connected at an apex. In another embodiment (FIG. 5), a lower tetrahedral frame made of six interconnected tubular members has a vertical mast connected to the apex thereof. The mast is supported by a plurality of stays connected to the three corners of the triangular base. A problem with the first discussed embodiment is that it appears that the frame relies for support solely on the six interconnected tubular members. This arrangement makes the vessel unsuitable for operation in high winds or rough seas. In the second embodiment, it appears that the mast is merely connected to the polyhedral frame and does not function as one of the structural members, thereby resulting in an unbalance of the forces so as to substantially reduce the durability and overall strength of the vessel.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,991,694 issued to Black on Nov. 16, 1976, appears to show a semi-rigid wind propelled vessel. The mast of this vessel is similarly connected to the apex of a polyhedral frame and is supported by a plurality of stays connected to the corners of the triangular base of the frame. The stresses and forces in the watercraft of Black appear to unequally distributed, and thus, would render this vessel of Black unsuitable for ocean-going use. The vessel disclosed in this U.S. patent does not appear to teach a sea crane or support for an elevated platform.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,326,475 issued on Apr. 27, 1982 to Berte appears to show a sailboat with the mast similarly connected to the apex of a polyhedral frame as in U.S. Pat. No. 3,991,694. This reference, also, does not appear to teach a suspended sea crane or support for an elevated sea platform.